Milk-tester



A. T. HASS INGER. MILK TEST ER. APPLICATION HLED SEPT-2, I916.-

1,355,970, I Patented Oct 19,1920.

won mags UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADOLPH '1. HASSINGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MILK-TESTER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AnoLrH T. HAssINGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in. Hills-Testers, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to apparatuses for determining the proportions of the constituents of liquids composed of substances of various specific weights. I

. Although it will appear to those skilled in the art that the device of my invention may be used to test any liquid having. constituent of different specific weights, as above pointed out, I have now particularly in mind the testing of milk for the determination of theper cent. of butter fat contained therein, and I shall describe the preferred embodiment of my invention as applied to such a use.

I am concerned, in the provision of my improved apparatus, with the desirability of accommodating the apparatus to tests at various temperatures and to this end I have provided simple, eflicient and effective means for the purpose. To the end of sanitation I have provided a device of simple construction, easily taken apart and cleaned, and in which there a-re'no obscure places where impurities might Catch and lodge. To the end of accuracy I provide a special means for reading the percentages on a large scale and I also provide means for preventing the formation of air bubbles and other effects which might detract from the accu-. racy of the device, aswillbe pointed out.

I shall describe my apparatus further by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- 7 Figure 1 is vice; 1

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof; and

Fig. 3 isavertical aXial sectional view taken on the plane of the line 33 of Fig. 2, and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

The vessel 4 is of cylindricalform and is provided with the. tightly fitting cover 5 clamped in place bymeans of the thumb nuts 6, 6 threading on threaded stems'l', 7 hinged in the studs 8, 8 on the sides ofthe an elevational-view'of the de- Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed September 2, 1916. Serial No. 118,301.

Patented oct. 19, 1920.

vessel, the stems 7, 7 being arranged, as shown, to swing into theslots 9, 9 in the plate 10, 10 which are secured to the cover and upon which the thumb nuts bear.

The cover 5 is providedat its center with an opening 11 in which fits and upwardly from which extends a stand-pipe 12 in which a plunger 13 hangs from its head'll resting on the top of the standepipe. The plunger is'of such length, as shown, as to extend. below the underside of the cover 5, and the head let is provided with a thumb piece '15 whereby the plunger-may be ex tracted from the stand-pipe. There is a slight clearance space between the standpipe and the plunger for a purpose to be described later. i

The cover 5 is also provided with an opening 16 inwhich a, female union piece 17 fits tightly, resting also on top of the cover, the male union piecelS being threaded in the female union piece and carrying a glass tube, 19 fitting tightly therein through the intervention of a gasket 20. In this wise the tube 19 extends from the interior of the vessel 4.

A scale 21 is mounted alongside the'glass tube 19, being supported from arms 22; 22 upon two rings 23, 23 fitting snugly and held in place by friction upon the stand pipe 12. The level of a liquid standing in the glass tube 19 may therefore'bedetermined upon said scale. This scale is a per cent. scale, as will be pointed out, andas a whole is movable verticallyupon the stand pipe 12 upon which there is a temperature scale, as shown, fora purpose to be described, the per cent. scale being intended to-occupy certain positions relative to different temperatures indicated by the position of the lower ring 23 upon the temperature scale.

I shall now describe the use and operation of my device. I

The operation of the apparatus proceeds from the difierence in volume between milk V eter.

being in place, the same quantity of milk,

by weight, will rise to a higher point in the tube 19, the difference in levels showing the per cent. of butter fat as indicated on the scale. The amount, by weight, of plasma is made suflicient to bring the level into the glass tube so that the difference in levels between plasma and milk may be entirely in the glass tube, thus magnifying the indlcation of the level difference since the glass tube is made of relatively very small diam- Since the volume varies with the temperature the per cent. scale is made vertically. adjustable so that the 0 on that scale may be brought to the level of the determined quantity by' weight of plasma whatever be the temperature.

The volume of the vessel and the connecting passageways is determined preliminarily any it may be assumed, for the purpose of illustration, that three hundred grams of plasma at fifty-eight degrees Fahrenheit wouldhave its'level at the point O when the top of the lower ring 23 is at the 58 line on the temperature scale. This is the case with the plunger 13 inserted in place. That being so, once and for all, it becomes unnecessary to measure plasma again. All tests are then made upon three hundred grams of the milk to be tested and according to the varying percentage of butter fat the milk will stand at various levels in the glass tube 19. The temperature scale. is preferably determinedby experiment with the same definite amount of plasma at the various temperatures. Determining the zero position of the per cent. scale in this way, that proportion-of milk above the zero position varies as does the percentage of butter fat and the per cent. scale is then determined by calculation, knowing the spe' cific weights of milk and plasma, or by experiment upon recognized standards.

In testing a sample of milk, the temperature of the'milk is taken so that the tester may know at what height to set the per cent. scale. The device, minus the plunger, is then preferably balanced on a scale. The cover 5 is then removed and the vessel 4: is then filled nearly to the top with milk to be tested. Then the cover 5 is replaced and secured in position, the plunger 13 being removed. The amount of milk originally placed inthe vessel tis less than the desired proper quantity for testing, and therefore the additional amount necessary to make up the proper quantity is introduced by careful pouring down the standpipe. Since the stand-pipe is relatively large, no air bubbles will be formed to change the volume of the mass and there will be no tendency for milk to adhere by capillary attraction to the sides of the stand-pipe. .Furthermore, the pouring is greatly facilitated and there is no loss in the portion of milk. The plunger is then inserted, being heavier than the milk and the milk then rises so that the level is shown in the thin glass tube 19 where differences are greatly magnified and most easily and accurately measured. The slight clearance around the plunger prevents the plunger acting as a piston to force air into the milk and the cross-sectional area of that clearance is so small as not to add materially to the cross sectional area of the tube 19, thus not materially cutting down the range provided be cause of the small diameter of the glass tube.

The'per cent. scale having already been set at the proper height, the per cent. of butter fat may then be ready directly from that scale according to the level of the milk.

Any difference between the rate of expansion of plasma and butter fat upon rise in temperature is so small, and the percentage of butter fat in milk is. so small, that the temperature scale determined on the basis of plasma is entirely adequate. The difference in effect of temperature on volume or" different grades of milk is so infinitely small as to disappear in the measuring means provided.

I claim: r p

1. In a device of the class described, a substantially closed vessel, a small bored measuring tube rising from the top of'tlie vessel, and a gravity controlled element to displace portion-of the-contents of the vessel into said measuring tube for measurement. 7 V

2. In a device of the class described, a vessel, a small bored measuring tube rising from the top of the vessel, a separate receiving opening for said vessel, and means" adapted to enter through said receiving opening to displace a portion of the contents of said vessel, said tube receiving a portion ofsaid contents upon such displace ment. V

3. In a device of the class described, a vessel having a cover, a measuring tube extending upwardly from saidcover andicommunicating with the interior of said vessel, a receiving opening through said cover, and means to displace a portionof the contents of said vessel, said tubereceiving a'portion of said contents upon such displacement.

4. In a device of the class described, a vessel having a cover, a measuring tube ex-. tending upwardly from'said cover and communicating with the interior of said vessel, a receiving opening through said cover, a stand-pipe leading from said opening, and a plunger in'said stand-pipe to displace a portion of the contents of said vessel, said tube receiving a portion of said contents upon such displacement;

5. In adevice of the class described, a vessel having a cover, a measuring tube extending upwardly from said cover and commu nicating with the interior of said vessel, a

iao

- a plunger in said stand-pipe to displace a portion of the contents of said vessel, said tube receiving a portion of said contents upon such displacement, said plunger being supported from the top of said stand-pipe.

6. In a device of the class described, a

, vessel having a cover, a measuring tube extending upwardly from said cover, and communicating with the interior of said vessel, a receiving opening through said cover, a stand-pipe leading from said opening, and a plunger in said stand-pipe to displace a portion of the contents of said vessel, said tube receiving a portion of: said contents upon such displacement, said plunger being supported from the top of said stand-pipe and there being a clearance space between said stand-pipe and said plunger.

7. In a device of the character described the combination of a vessel, a transparent measuring tube connected with and extending above said vessel, an element for displacing and forcing a portion of the contents of said vessel into said tube to a height corresponding to the specific gravity of the contents, and'a scale arranged adjacent said tube and adjustable to compensate for temperature changes.

8. Ina device of the characterdescribed the combination of a vessel, a transparent measuring tubeconnected with and extending above said vessel, an element for displacing and forcing a portion of the contents of said vessel into said tube to a height corresponding to the specific gravity of the contents, a scale arranged adjacent said tube and adjustable to compensate for temperature changes, and a scale member carried by said vessel and having temperature graduations according to which said volumetric graduations may be set.

9. In a device of the class described, a vessel, a thin transparent measuring tube extending therefrom, a member having per cent. graduations for said tube, said memher being adjustable and a scale member having temperature graduations according to which said per cent graduations may be set.

10. In a device of the class described, a vessel having a cover, a thin transparent measuring tube extending upwardly from said cover and communicating with the interior of said vessel, a receiving opening in said cover, a stand-pipe leading from said opening, a plunger in said stand-pipe to displace a portion of the contents of said vessel, said tube receiving a portion of said contents upon such displacement, a scale mounted adjustably on said stand-pipe and associated with said tube, and a temperature scale on said stand-pipe, said plunger being supportedfrom the topof said standpipe and having a surrounding clearance space. V 1

11. In a device of the kind described, a vessel, a cover for the vessel, means for securing the cover in liquid tight relation to the vessel, the cover having its under side coned upwardly and having a filling opening entering the top of the cone, a stand pipe leading from said opening, a displacer plunger in said stand-pipe extending into said vessel, and a measuring tube extending upwardly from said cover and adapted to receive a portion of the displaced liquid.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 31st day of August, A. D. 1916.

ADOLPH HASSINGER. 

